13 food premises closed in July for breaches of food safety legislation

15 food businesses were issued with Enforcement Orders in July for breaches of food safety legislation.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today reported that 13 Closure Orders, 1 Prohibition Order and 1 Improvement Order were issued last month.

Some of the reasons for the closures include: A live rat seen in the rear storage area, a foul smell in the potato chipping room, rodent droppings on food shelf, and evidence of rodent activity in shop floor area.

In other premises, the staff toilet was out of service for over a month, there was evidence of an active mouse infestation, and a significant number of mouse droppings were observed on shelving and baking equipment.

Flies, particularly in the raw meat and deli counter areas, filthy kitchens and no running hot water available at sinks contributed to other orders being issued.

The Loft Bar (public house), Ballyconnell Road, Falcarragh, Donegal. For offences observed on July 27, 2017 and August 31, 2017, convictions were secured against Frank Gallagher and Aaron McGarrigle. They were fined €400 and €500 respectively. The Loft Bar is now under new ownership.

Commenting today, Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive of the FSAI, said the onus is on food businesses to ensure they protect the health of their customers by always strictly following food safety legislative requirements.

“It is somewhat alarming that 15 Enforcement Orders were required to be served on food businesses in the month of July. The legal responsibility for producing food that is safe to eat rests firmly with food businesses.

"The inspections found that a number of food workers at these businesses did not have even a basic knowledge or training in food safety and hygiene, which is a legal requirement."

"There is absolutely no excuse for careless practices. Staff must be properly trained in food safety and hygiene and it is also imperative that an effective pest control system is in place,” she said.

Under the FSAI Act, 1998, a Closure Order is served where it is deemed that there is or there is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health at or in the premises or where an Improvement Order is not complied with.

Under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010, Closure Orders and Prohibition Orders are served where there is a non-compliance with food legislation.

An Improvement Order may be issued by the District Court if an Improvement Notice is not complied with within a defined period. Further non-compliance can result in a Closure Order also being served.

A Prohibition Order is issued if the activities (handling, processing, disposal, manufacturing, storage, distribution or selling food) involve or are likely to involve a serious risk to public health from a particular product, class, batch or item of food. The effect is to prohibit the sale of the product, either temporarily or permanently.

Further information on the Enforcement Orders is published on the FSAI’s website at https://www.fsai.ie/

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